This sequel was much awaited by my kids and their wait got over last weekend when we took them to watch the movie “Finding Dory”. It’s an animation movie about a blue tang fish named Dory, who suffers from memory loss after every few seconds. She somehow recalls how she got separated from her parents and that forms the crux of the movie, wherein, Dory along with her friends Nemo and Marlin sets out on an epic adventure to find her lost parents.

The movie was hilarious and out rightly entertaining. There was a pronounced flavor of positivity and feel-good factor throughout the film but deep within it is laced with life-lessons meant to be re-discovered as a family.

I believe anything told through a visual medium and that too in an animated form makes more impact on kid’s mind. As said “a picture is worth a thousand words”, so imagine how many more words a moving picture can communicate. Though the journey to reunite the long-lost family is undertaken by the marine creatures but along with them the audiences also glean a lesson or two about life.

1. In the movie Dory finds timely back-up from her friends in her endeavor to search for her lost parents, which she ultimately accomplishes. As depicted in the movie, real friends are indeed the ones who lend their ear when you want to be listened, lend an advise when you need a solution to problem, lend a shoulder when you want to cry and like Marlin and Nemo will always by your side just like they remain with Dory.

The takeaway advice: “A true friend is greatest of all blessings”.

2. For anybody to venture out of their comfort zone and into an unknown territory could be quite nerve-wracking. But all it requires is the courage to take that first step towards your goal coz unless you do so, you’ll never know if a task can be accomplished or not. In the movie we see even when Dory is left alone in the vast expanse of blue ocean, she musters the courage to continue her journey and succeed in finding her parents.

The takeaway advice:Have courage to tread the untrodden path.

3. In the course of their journey in an attempt to rescue Dory, there’s no way Marlin and Nemo would reach the Marine Life Institute without asking help from the Sea Lions. Likewise parents should also teach their kids that it’s ok to ask for help when they really need it. For adults too, especially mothers who have to manage many chores throughout the day, it’s perfectly fine if they delegate work to other members of family or even keep a full-time maid. After all, they are not super-humans to do everything on their own.

The takeaway advice:Don’t shy away from asking help.

4. During her childhood it was shown that though Dory’s parents were worried because of her handicap, still they were always encouraging and helpful towards their daughter. Even after getting separated, they never gave up the hope that Dory would find her way back home. The life’s biggest lesson to “never give up”, which Dory’s parents instilled in her during childhood, makes it possible for her to re-unite with her family.

The takeaway advice:Parents are our pillar of strength. As a parent I think that’s the best lesson from the movie.

5. Despite the various disabilities which almost every character in the movie displays, they thrive. Their attitudes are positive, are always perseverant and won’t let their disability from achieving their goal.

The takeaway advice: “When life gets you down, you know what you got to do, just keep swimming, just keep swimming!”

To sum it all up I can say the wait of 13 years after its prequel Finding Nemo, Finding Dory was all worth it.